


This is not a temporary love

by CarmenOnMonday



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Boys trying to navigate a new relationship, Dinner with friends, First Dates, M/M, Memories, Requested, Short & Sweet, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Young Love, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 10:51:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18386945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarmenOnMonday/pseuds/CarmenOnMonday
Summary: They aren’t like any other couple; they’ve never been on an official date. They just built on the foundation of their long (overstretched) friendship, added to the platonic relationship a new chapter which started with “I’ve waited so long to do that” and “yes, I want it too” and “we’re both idiots”.______________Dele, Eric, and their dates.





	This is not a temporary love

**Author's Note:**

> Anon requested Eric and Dele's first date. I did (not) deliver. Still, I hope you'll enjoy it! Thank you so much for your prompt, it helped me finally break my writing block! 
> 
> Just characters, not real people.

It’s just a dinner with the closest friends; some of his own, both Portuguese and English, and some of Dele’s. Between them two, they have a lot of close friends, but even though they come from completely different environments, somehow they all mix together nicely and form a well-going happy bunch.

Cisco and Clay have the time of their lives, running around the backyard and enjoying the attention they get. The sunlight plays on the faces of the gathered people. In Eric’s mind, this - having a house full of people, sharing a dinner with them all sitting by a huge table, in spring wind and calming warmth of sunshine on their faces – that’s what happiness looks like. 

He’s contentedly watching the crowd talk through one another from his place at the barbeque when he hears throat clearing coming from his left. 

He turns around and sees Jadon – one of Dele’s childhood friends – leaning in to scrutinize the meat. He squints his eyes and then points to one of the pieces with the beer he’s holding in his hand.

“I reserve this one. Looks like Africa,” he notices with appropriate seriousness.

Eric chuckles. “It’s yours then.”

“Cheers, mate.” Jadon raises the bottle.

Eric nods and busies himself with flipping the food. He can’t drink during the season, which seems like a bummer on an evening like this, but to be fair, he doesn’t even miss the alcohol that much. He doesn’t need it to be full of indescribable joy. 

“So. You and Dele,” Jadon says, more of a statement than a question, but clearly encouraging Eric to elaborate.

Of course. They’re all curious. Nobody knows anything for sure, yet here they are, Eric and Dele, organising a party for their friends together like some sort of couple. 

In fact, showing instead of explaining that there’s something more between them was one of the (unspoken) reasons for the dinner. They didn’t want to make any fuss about it, instead opted for treating it as a natural progression, letting their friends come to their conclusions. But with Jadon asking almost directly...

Just minutes ago, Eric explained it to Markus, but that was in Portuguese, a language full of terms which don’t translate into English. Eric can’t find the suitable words to describe what’s between them. Maybe, with how close they are, with time... But he can’t say it out loud, not yet.

“Yeah,” he finally settles on, his voice croaking. “We’re. Eh.” Eric scratches the back of his head nervously. “Dating,” he finally says, in the absence of a better word.

Internally, he winces. Doesn’t sound right. It’s still a new, unfamiliar concept, them _dating_. Him and his best friend. 

Who, of course, chooses that exact moment to walk by the barbeque and overhear their conversation.

“Oh really?” Dele jumps in, with a mock seriousness, appearing in front of them out of thin air. He’s smiling so wide his cheeks must be hurting, and his eyes are glinting with happiness. “Have I missed something? I don’t remember you ever asking me out.”

“Huh,” Eric lets out. That’s... fair. They aren’t like any other couple; they’ve never been on an official date. They just built on the foundation of their long (overstretched) friendship, added to the platonic relationship a new chapter which started with “I’ve waited so long to do that” and “yes, I want it too” and “we’re both idiots”. 

No, that’s not true; actually, it started with gestures rather than words, but when they got to talking, that’s exactly what they said. Still, it’s a bright new addition to what they had in the past. Not discussed in detail. Not properly explored.

One look at Dele’s raised brow and playful smile, and Eric knows he’s been challenged. And he never backs away from the challenge.

He takes a step closer to Dele and bows theatrically, then extends his hand to him, and asks with flourish: “Dele, will you do me an honour of going to a date with me?”

Dele’s visibly flustered at that, all his features softening, his smile now more delicate, but his voice is cocky when he answers.

“You’re on, Dier,” he says and winks.

In the background, Jadon smirks into his beer.

* * *

With so much going on in the next few hours, Eric almost forgets the whole thing, and it’s Dele who reminds him. Funnily enough, he doesn’t even intend to.

They’re cleaning the table after everyone left. It’s already dark and breezy outside, but the air still smells like spring, and the lights in the garden add to the scenery a pleasant glow. Eric notices such things, he takes them in and catalogues for later. He stares at the light playing on Dele’s face and smiles fondly.

Dele’s moving slowly while collecting the plates, visibly tired after the party. He refused to leave it for the cleaner, insisted he’s been brought up better than that. 

It’s actually nice, doing it together. It feels domestic.

“T’was nice, wasn’t it?” Dele wonders out loud.

Eric wants to give him a big bear hug – he looks so young and unsure, like the dinner with so many people around took all his strength out of him. It happens a lot with him; he’s so full of energy most of the time that most people doesn’t realise how exhausted he must be in the short breaks he catches.

“And I was joking,” he adds almost under his breath.

Eric lifts his gaze from the cutlery he’s sorting. “Hmmm?”

Dele avoids Eric’s eyes, clearly embarrassed.

“About the date. I don’t need formal dates,” he explains. 

Something melts inside Eric’s body. This is a different Dele – not the real one because it’s not a distinction between the reality and the pose, just a sign of trust required to show someone his vulnerable side. This is Dele only Eric gets to see. The one who enamoured Eric from the first sight. 

The one who second-guesses himself far too often.

“Just this,” Dele states, staring into the plate he’s emptying into the trash. His flushed cheeks glow in the light.

It tugs at Eric’s heartstrings; he drops what he’s doing and walks closer to Dele and hugs him from behind. He plasters his own chest against Dele’s back, tangles his arms on Dele’s stomach and lays a soft kiss on his ear. Dele lets out a soft whimper. His body is deliciously warm and pliant, finally loose after hours of staying on his best behaviour.

“Everything, Del,” Eric murmurs into the silence of the evening, only brave enough to say it out loud because he doesn’t have to look into Dele’s eyes. “You deserve everything.” It’s still not easy, being open about what he feels. 

A chill runs through Dele’s entire body at that. Eric can feel it on his own skin.

“Dier, you sap,” Dele tries to deflect, but there’s more fondness in it than mocking. He relaxes even more in Eric’s arms and hums with pleasure. “Remember that time we went for a walk with Cisco and Clay to the forest?”

“Which one?” Eric asks automatically, because they’ve been to walks with them together times and times again.

Dele chuckles under his breath. “Exactly. I meant the one in the snow, when they made you run into the big puddle.” 

Eric groans at the memory. He had to throw out his favourite trainers afterwards. Dele couldn’t stop laughing at his rage the entire way back home. It happened soon after they met for the first time.

“Why are you bringing this up?”

Dele doesn’t answer, instead continues reminiscing.

“Or that afternoon we went out for a lunch and got lost in London? We’re useless with maps, thank god for the GPS,” Dele speaks slowly, with fondness in his voice. “Or in Barcelona, remember? Your birthday and exploring the city... The tennis on the boulevards you made me record for your father so he could see that you didn’t entirely abandon his favourite sport for footie.

Or that evening we watched three Potter films in a row and were late for the training the next day. And all the times I won with you when we played games. Iconic.” Dele’s grin can be heard in his voice.

By now, Eric’s got a pretty good idea where Dele’s heading, but he enjoys this little stroll down the memory lane so he doesn’t interrupt. Instead, he focuses on the warmth emanating from Dele’s body and Dele’s voice. 

Dele snuggles even more into Eric’s arms, lays his hands on top of Eric’s and continues talking in his sweet, slightly sleepy voice.

“My personal favourite, Arcade games. God, I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun. You’re so cute when you’re bitter about losing.”

“Excuse me?!”

“And the holidays, Greece and Ibiza. The family gatherings. Sweet popcorn you bought whenever we went to the cinema because you knew I would regret not buying it later on. Even those quiet evenings we spent in hotels and shared rooms. Dinners at yours you invited me to, so many times. Dinners at our favourite restaurant. See, we even have a favourite restaurant, huh? I still think we should go to a Milton Keynes one soon, it’s not fair we only ever eat Portuguese food.”

There’s something painful in Eric’s throat by now. All these moments Dele’s mentioned – Eric didn’t even know there were so many, and it’s probably not even half of it yet. 

“You’re forgetting the evenings I spent at yours when I was injured.” Eric didn’t want to be alone. He didn’t have to explain it to Dele, Dele just _knew_.

Dele hums. “I’m forgetting a lot, probably.”

He slowly straightens his back and turns around in Eric’s arms. He looks so cute in the dimmed light of the evening, his eyes as soft as they ever get, and that’s the sight which always makes Eric’s heart skip a beat.

Dele holds the eye contact, serious, and waits for a few seconds before he opens his mouth again.

“Everything,” he repeats in whisper, his voice full of emotion. “That’s everything. We really have been dating for years, Dier.”

Eric’s honestly speechless. That’s what Dele does to him; he surprises him, every step of the way, makes him feel open, raw, defenceless, but never uses it against him.

Dele raises one of his hands to Eric’s stubble and plays with it; he lowers his gaze to stare at his own fingers, and, consequently, at Eric’s lips.

“I don’t need you to wine and dine me to impress me. That’s already done,” he continues, even though he doesn’t have to. Eric gets it. “I’m already yours.”

Eric’s done. He desperately throws himself at Dele. In his need to finally lay his lips on Dele’s he almost makes them both trip, but somehow they manage to stay upright, their mouths finally meeting. Eric kisses Dele with all that he has; he tries to get closer and closer to him, tries to put into it all the emotions that go through his body. He focuses on getting out of Dele these little sounds he loves so much, soft gasps and whimpers filling the air as soon as he breaks his kisses. Dele’s trembling; they both are, and it’s not because of the chill breeze on their backs.

“Fuck, you, Eric, you’re-“ Eric doesn’t let Dele finish. He doesn’t know where he’s going, but it’s not that important. They don’t need to speak to know what they both mean to each other.

Their next kiss is even hotter than the ones before and leaves them both breathless.

Dele’s resting his forehead on Eric’s, still staring into Eric’s eyes, and he’s so beautiful that Eric just knows he’s completely gone. There won’t be anyone else for him, not ever.

It’s Dele who breaks the silence again.

“We held hands in front of tens of thousands of fans. That’s pretty romantic, right? And I don’t put out on the first date. Are you sure you want to go back to this?”

A small laugh escapes Eric’s lips. He pretends to be terrified. “God, no!”

“Huh, knew it. Should’ve started with this.”

Eric shakes his head. It’s his life mission to get rid of that barely noticeable note of self-depreciation which rings in Dele’s voice from time to time.

“No. You charmed my pants off just now,” he tries to deliver it as a joke, but it doesn’t sound like it. Sounds like honesty.

Dele groans and leans in to kiss Eric once more. 

Eric could get drunk on his kisses. Maybe he already did.

Dele escapes from Eric’s hug and winks at him. “Come on, then, big man.” 

He sways his hips with exaggeration, clearly playing with him, and disappears into the house, the lights turning on showing the way up to the bedroom he takes.

Eric can’t take his eyes off of his retreating form. He stands in place for a few more seconds, enchanted, trying to get a grip of himself, trying to accept and believe that this is his life. He _is_ dating his best friends and it’s the best thing that has ever happened to him.

He’ll take him out on a date (their first official one) anyway, but for now, it can wait. Eric shakes his head, smiles like a mad man and runs after Dele. 

The cleaner can take care of the mess they left in the garden after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for all this sugar. Let's all go eat something bitter now.
> 
> Short, sweet and unrealistic - not my style, I know. It feels so good to finally finish something though. If you feel like letting me know what you think, I'll be eternally grateful. I'm really trying to get back to writing, I do, I swear, and your contribution helps a lot.
> 
> If you'd like to share with me your thoughts about the fic, the boys, or some prompts: [dieretmoi.tumblr.com](http://www.dieretmoi.tumblr.com)


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